Set in the rolling dunes and forests of Long Island s North Fork Friar s Head opened in 2002 and immediately gained national attention The design team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore wove several holes just off the waters of Long Island Sound and there are very few trees on the grounds so players and their shots are exposed to the elements In many ways the course is a throwback to traditional courses in the United Kingdom there are no yardages on the scorecards players must find creative solutions to the navigate over and around sand dunes knee high fescue surrounds many of the fairways and waste areas and the wind is one of the course s strongest defenses